Christians claim the Bible is the Word of God, that it is absolutely reliable in all that it teaches. But to put such confidence in the Bible requires that we have the correct books in the Bible. But do we? This subject is very important and complicated, so complicated it took three volumes to fully cover it. Volume One studied the books included in the Old Testament (OT) and considered other books that could have been included but were not. Volume Two covered the books included in the New Testament (NT). This third and final volume will consider other writings which are not in the NT. They are of three types: The first type is the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. These are Church leaders and writers of the late first to mid-second centuries. Most were direct disciples of the apostles, and some of their writings were seriously considered for inclusion in the NT. It will be explained why this was so and why these writings were eventually rejected. The second and third types are "apocryphal" books. This term originally meant "hidden" but now means "extra-canonical," meaning the books are not considered to be inspired by God and thus are outside of the canon (list of authoritative books) of Scripture. These books are divided into two types: ones that are mostly orthodox in their theology and ones that are heretical or Gnostic. Among these apocryphal books are some that have received much publicity of late. The media has been abuzz in recent years about books like the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Judas, and the Gospel of Jesus' Wife. It is said these books present a radical new viewpoint of Christianity and are more reliable than the NT books. In addition, the conception many people have of early Christian history often comes from apocryphal books and not from NT books. For instance, at Christmastime, the manner in which nativity scenes are displayed comes more from apocryphal "infancy gospels" than from the NT Gospels. Therefore, many people today will find a discussion of these books to be of interest.

Christians claim the Bible is the Word of God, that it is the final authority in all matters relating to Christian faith and practice, and that it is absolutely reliable in all that it teaches. But to put such confidence in the Bible requires that we have the correct books in the Bible. But do we? Why are the 66 books in the Bible in the Bible, and why were other books that could have been included not included? This subject is very important and complicated, so complicated it takes three volumes to fully cover it. Volume One studied the books included in the Old Testament (OT) and considered other books that could have been included but were not. This Volume Two will cover the books included in the New Testament (NT). Volume Three will then consider the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, some of which were considered for inclusion in the NT, along with other writings, orthodox and Gnostic, that many wonder why they are not included in the NT. In this second volume, each of the 27 books included in the NT will be reviewed in detail. Who wrote them and when, their theology, and other pertinent background information will be discussed to explain why they were included in the NT. Arguments against the traditional viewpoints on these books will be addressed.

This Volume One of a three volume set will study the books included in the Old Testament (OT) and consider other books that could have been included in it but were not. Each of the 39 books in the OT will be reviewed in detail, and it will be explained why they were included in the OT. Then the debate about the "extra" books found in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles as compared to Protestant and Jewish Bibles will be addressed. Lastly, other books that some wonder why they are not included in the OT will be discussed. It will be explained why these books were rejected.

This Volume One of a three volume set will study the books included in the Old Testament (OT) and consider other books that could have been included in it but were not. Each of the 39 books in the OT will be reviewed in detail, and it will be explained why they were included in the OT. Then the debate about the "extra" books found in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles as compared to Protestant and Jewish Bibles will be addressed. Lastly, other books that some wonder why they are not included in the OT will be discussed. It will be explained why these books were rejected.

This book is for the person struggling in life and for the person struggling with how God sovereignly works in people's lives. It goes through the Bible more or less in order, from the first verse of Genesis to the last verse of The Revelation. It discusses both general principles and specific issues. Along the way, I relate examples of how I believe the sovereignty of God has been operating in my life, in hopes that my experiences will help the reader to apply the principles to your life. This book also addresses the question of the relationship of God's sovereignty to the human will or volition.

Since Jesus’s resurrection, Christianity has expanded across the globe and shaped a vast array of groups and movements. A Survey of the History of Global Christianity, Second Edition, provides an overview of the Christian faith from the apostolic age to the global present. In a friendly and informative tone, author Mark Nickens outlines the historical context of important developments in doctrine and practice, including: o the persecution and resilience of the early church o the results of increasing papal power in Europe during the Middle Ages o the Reformation and later movements that influenced European Christianity o the various sects of American Christianity that arose in cycles of revival o an examination of Orthodoxy and the history of Christianity in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the West Indies. In addition to historical information, this book features quotes and spiritual lessons from noteworthy Christians throughout the centuries. By understanding how Christian doctrine has developed over the ages and across the globe, readers will better understand where their own faith tradition comes from.

The Oxford Handbook of the Apocrypha addresses the Old Testament Apocrypha, known to be important early Jewish texts that have become deutero-canonical for some Christian churches, non-canonical for other churches, and that are of lasting cultural significance. In addition to the place given to the classical literary, historical, and tradition-historical introductory questions, essays focus on the major social and theological themes of each individual book. With contributions from leading scholars from around the world, the Handbook acts as an authoritative reference work on the current state of Apocrypha research, and at the same time carves out future directions of study. This Handbook offers an overview of the various Apocrypha and relevant topics related to them by presenting updated research on each individual apocryphal text in historical context, from the late Persian and early Hellenistic periods to the early Roman era. The essays provided here examine the place of the Apocrypha in the context of Early Judaism, the relationship between the Apocrypha and texts that came to be canonized, the relationship between the Apocrypha and the Septuagint, Qumran, the Pseudepigrapha, and the New Testament, as well as their reception history in the Western world. Several chapters address overarching themes, such as genre and historicity, Jewish practices and beliefs, theology and ethics, gender and the role of women, and sexual ethics.

This Volume Three of a three volume set covers books not included in the New Testament. These books include the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, who were Church leaders and writers of the late first to mid-second centuries, along with "apocryphal" books, both orthodox and Gnostic. Among these apocryphal books are some that have received much publicity of late and from which many people derive their ideas of early Christian history.

Revised edition. Volume 1 of 5. The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible has been a classic Bible study resource for more than thirty years. Now thoroughly revised, this new five-volume edition provides up-to-date entries based on the latest scholarship. Beautiful full-color pictures supplement the text, which includes many new articles in addition to thorough updates and improvements of existing topics. Different viewpoints of scholarship permit a well-rounded perspective on significant issues relating to doctrines, themes, and biblical interpretation. The goal remains the same: to provide pastors, teachers, students, and devoted Bible readers with a comprehensive and reliable library of information.• More than 5,000 pages of vital information on Bible lands and people• More than 7,500 articles alphabetically arranged for easy reference• Hundreds of colorful maps, illustrations, charts, and graphs• Scholarly articles ranging across the entire spectrum of theological and biblical topics, backed by the most current body of archaeological research• Over 250 contributors from around the world• Introductions to each book of the Bible• Bibliographies and helpful cross-references